Bob Cialdini released a ground-breaking book on the power of influence forty years ago. It’s possible that these guidelines have increased in strength in the digital age.
While living in his undergraduate residence hall, Robert Cialdini once answered the door for a fellow resident who was trying to sell him subscriptions to Sports Illustrated. “I was a starving student; I didn’t have a lot of discretionary income,” remembers Cialdini. “So I wasn’t going to buy his magazine.”
But the guy was tenacious. He informed Cialdini that there was a special deal that was only available that weekend, and he would be missing it. He emphasized how well the journal was regarded by prominent pundits. He also noted in passing that he had already sold many subscriptions to the other roommates. Cialdini caved down quickly.
After the man departed, he rested his back against the door and considered the events that had transpired. “I thought, ‘You spent your money, and it wasn’t because of the merits of the thing – it was the way he presented it,'” says Cialdini. I found myself thinking, ‘Isn’t that intriguing? Does that not merit more study?
Because of his insatiable interest, Cialdini wrote Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, which was released in 1984. By combining scholarly behavioral science research with relevant case studies and firsthand knowledge, it may have set the standard for “smart thinking” writers like Charles Duhigg, Adam Grant, and James Clear. According to his publishers, his book has sold over seven million copies after multiple updated editions.
I had a conversation with Cialdini at a London hotel on the book’s 40th anniversary about its inception, significance, and the evolution of persuasion psychology over the years, as well as its relevance to today’s broken cultures.
The six tenets of persuasive discourse
“If you find your effect in the field, you know that it is powerful.” Cialdini had made the decision to devote part of his research to studying individuals he defined as “compliance professionals” – those in sales, marketing, recruitment, and fundraising whose livelihoods depend on influencing others’ opinions. In many cases, this would involve formal interviews; in other cases, he went “undercover” – applying for positions and then picking up the nuances of the business from his colleagues.
When I ask Cialdini about his most memorable encounter, he tells me about going door-to-door with a fantastic salesman who was selling heat-triggered fire alarms. Cialdini’s mentor used to travel with a large book filled with sales materials outlining various things, but he would frequently forget it in the car. He would then ask to borrow their keys so he could go get them and let himself back into the house while the homeowners tested the safety of their home. “It was the only thing that he did differently.”
The individual eventually gave his justification after being questioned repeatedly. Who do you trust, Bob? he asked. You put your trust in people you let go of and let inside your home on their own, and I wanted to be linked with that,” remembers Cialdini. “And I remember thinking to myself, ‘Oh, wow, this guy understands human behavior.'”
Six fundamental themes seemed to underpin any persuasive campaign, which he identified after comparing these experiences with published studies over a period of three years.
They were:
Limited Dominance
Social evidence
Appreciating Mutual Aid
fidelity and dependability
Furthermore, he provided social proof, or confirmation that others who share our circumstances are acting similarly, by citing the number of Cialdini’s roommates who had accepted the offer.
Though conformity certainly plays a role, this goes beyond that. “It shows that the action is valid, and demonstrates that it’s feasible to undertake,” Cialdini states. We may observe the value of social proof in many different contexts nowadays. For example, if we are told a music is well-liked by other listeners, we are more likely to download it, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, people were more likely to wear masks if they observed others doing so.
After we decide or make a stand, we face pressure from both others and ourselves to act and think in a way that is consistent with that commitment. Bob Cialdini
The like principle states that we are more likely to accept demands or ideas from others if we get along well with them. While this may seem obvious, many people fail to use it while attempting to persuade others of their viewpoints, as evidenced by the venom of political discourse. Cialdini included research on “Tupperware parties” in the first edition of his book. This was a business concept where a community member could earn a commission by organizing a party and then selling the kitchen containers. According to the research, people were more likely to purchase a product—regardless of its features or quality—the closer they felt to the presenter.
The proverb “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” is reflected in reciprocation, but Cialdini demonstrated in Influence that even tiny acts of kindness may have a significant impact, as demonstrated by the well-known “Coca Cola” experiment, in which psychologist Dennis Regan brought volunteers into the lab. Their assignment was to assess paintings. Joe, a research assistant masquerading as a volunteer at one point in the experiment, briefly departed the facility. In many trials, he returned empty-handed, but in others, he carried two bottles of Coca-Cola, one for the (actual) participant and one for himself.
Joe asked the subject whether they wanted to purchase raffle tickets he was selling after the experiment was supposed to be over, and their decision-making was heavily influenced by his previous actions. Had Joe performed that modest act out of kindness by buying the additional Coke, they would have purchased a lot more tickets. Importantly, this held true even if they had initially heard Joe behave impolitely toward someone. Like seems to give way to reciprocation in this case.
Lastly, there’s consistency and dedication. Cialdini puts it this way: “Once we make a choice or take a stand, we encounter personal and interpersonal pressure to think and behave consistently with that commitment.” For example, just asking someone if they plan to vote can make them more likely to do so because not asking would appear inconsistent and create “cognitive dissonance,” which is an uncomfortable emotion.
The power of unity
The seventh principle, unity—that people are “inclined to say yes to someone they consider one of them”—was introduced by Cialdini to the revised editions of Influence. He claims that the growing tribalism he observes in society served as inspiration in part. “I’ve always thought of unity as an amplifier; in the presence of unity, social proof or scarcity would have greater impact. Nevertheless, I soon realized that it has an energy distinct from all the others.”
He cites a research on a young woman who solicits donations for a charity while on a college campus. “When she began her pitch with the sentence ‘I’m a student’ she increased her contributions by 450%.” He also understands how it affects his own life. “A while ago, I read a newspaper article that looked at celebrities who had allegiances to the various NFL teams, and I learned that Justin Timberlake and Lil Wayne, were both avid Green Bay Packers fans,” he says. “And I immediately became more favourable to their music, and wanted them to succeed in the future.”
I question Cialdini about whether his research on persuasion has prepared him for deceitful salespeople. Is he still thinking of himself as a “patsy”? He claims that the veracity of the facts others are presenting determines how he will respond to their charm offenses. “When it’s a trick, then I’m equipped to say no.” But in the case of truthful and reliable information, “I’m more likely to say yes, since these principles can guide us correctly.”
He makes the argument that it makes complete sense to be concerned about a product’s popularity with others, for example, as this raises the likelihood that it will appeal to you personally. “And I would have been foolish not to know what the true authority consensus is about this pain reliever, or about this automobile, or about this subscription.”
Forge the kinds of connections that are traditionally associated with kinship or friendship – Bob Cialdini
This distinction appears to be significant. His ideas just instruct us to provide the most pertinent information for someone making a decision, so long as we apply them honestly. “You’ve simply been informed, or educated, into assent.” He contends that those who choose to use them in an unethical manner will soon pay a price. “You’ll eventually be discovered as a cheat, and who will want to do business with you again?”
Persuasive politics
Both politicians and corporate executives have held Cialdini’s advice in high regard in the decades after the publication of Influence. As part of a “dream team” of psychologists counseling both former US President Barack Obama and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, for example, he collaborated with both.
Among their recommendations was a modification to the manner in which the campaign disclosed its funding. They had previously given a round percentage of the total amount of money received. They then went on to detail the overall count of contributors. “Social proof is given by that. It informs you that a large number of other individuals have made the same decision and that I should take note of this.”
He claims that people close to the candidates did not always appreciate their services. “The traditional campaign advisors were threatened by this information coming from the academic community, because they didn’t have access to it,” he says. “And so they sometimes deflected some of that advice away.”